swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswä-dᵊl 

swaddled; swaddling

ˈswäd-liŋ, 

ˈswä-dᵊl-iŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to wrap (an infant) with swaddling clothes

b

: envelop, swathe

legs swaddled in bandages

2

: restrain, restrict

… marriage … swaddled him in a domesticity he came to loathe …

—Nina Auerbach

Examples of swaddle in a Sentence

He swaddled the baby in a blanket.

Recent Examples on the Web

Pretty much any style that swaddles your natural hair can be considered protective; among the many cited by the experts are braids, twists, locs, crochet styles, sew-ins, Bantu knots, and wigs. — Eden Stuart, Allure, 26 Oct. 2026

The rooms The rooms and suites at the Serbelloni are swaddled in opulence. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Across the conference table, Sosanya plays Beatrice like steel swaddled in cashmere, while Miles Jupp, as her colleague David, peels away his genteel snobbery to reveal an unexpectedly dorky underbelly. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026

The half-dozen officers stripped down to their boots, swaddled themselves in some of the hotel’s cozy robes, and plopped down for a nap in a hallway near the lobby. — Jesse McLaren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English swadelen, swathelen, probably alteration of swedelen, swethelen, from swethel swaddling band, from Old English; akin to Old English swathian to swathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for swaddle

• caudal
• caudle
• dawdle
• model
• twaddle
• waddle
• remodel

Kids Definition

swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswäd-ᵊl 

swaddled; swaddling ˈswäd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to wrap an infant with swaddling clothes